Detling
| Detling | |
| Kent | |
|---|---|
 West Court Oast, Detling | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ7958 |
| Location: | 51°17’46"N, 0°34’16"E |
| Data | |
| Population: | 777 (2001) |
| Post town: | Maidstone |
| Postcode: | ME14 |
| Dialling code: | 01622 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Maidstone |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Faversham and Mid Kent |
Detling is a village in Kent, standing on the slope of the North Downs, north east of Maidstone, and on the Pilgrims' Way.
The village is 4 miles from Maidstone, and is thankfully bypassed by the main A249 road. At one time all traffic passed through it and in the great days of the stage coach, the Cock Horse Inn was used to stable additional horses when required to take heavily-laden coaches and wagons on the steep route up Detling Hill.
In the village has a Tudor gateway, which has stood since the time of Henry VIII.
Parish church
The parish church is dedicated to St Martin of Tours. It is Grade I listed.
The Old Airfield and the Showground
At the top of the hill was an airfield; a Royal Navy Air Station during the First World War and an RAF station, RAF Detling, during the Second World War. It was bombed by the Luftwaffe several times, with considerable loss of life. A memorial in Detling Village commemorates the service personnel from the airfield.
The original area of the airfield has since been divided up. Some of the original hardstandings are used within a light industrial units area, part of the airfield is now farm land, and a significant part used by the Kent Showground
The Kent Showground is the county showground and it hosts a number of annual events, such as the Kent County Show, the Detling Military Odyssey (a major historical re-enactment event) and the Detling Summer Conference, an event for evangelical Christians.
Sport
Detling Cricket Club have a ground on the Pilgrims' Way. They play on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer and hold practice sessions on Tuesday evenings. The team plays in the Kent Village League.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Detling) |